Book of the Phoenix
by Ice Phoenix1
Summary: ::gasp:: **Updated** (At last) Nyeh... it's difficult to explain.. Oo; basically an OC Zoids Story. Product of RPing. e.e
1. Chapter 1

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Book of the Phoenix

A Zoids Fanfic

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A few notes:

Phoenix - aka Rhuidea

Griffin - aka Matt

Falcon - aka Sean

'ye' when said by Rhu sounds like 'yeh'

On with the story!

~*~RC~*~

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Chapter 1

Rhuidea stepped out of the cockpit, landing with a soft 'thud' on the sand. Looking up at the city gates she sighed "Hate cities. Give me the open sands any day." Rhu muttered. Glancing at the Sinker behind her, she pulled the trenchcoat tighter around her thin frame before stepping into the crowded streets of Doi.

~*~

"Sorry m'am, but we don' have them parts yet. It'll take a few more days t' git 'em, specially since they need t' come from the factory all customised. Y' don' get many orders for parts to a AX-4039 Raynos y'know, bein' a rare model 'n' all." the shopkeeper informed Rhu, broad accent slurring his words.

"Hnh." Rhu cursed and turned to him from her inspection of a few shelved parts. "Well that's just great. Matt ain't gonna be too pleaed."

The shopkeeper's eyes widened "Ye- ye mean the Matt? As in Matt Shard the Griffin of the _Flight Team_?" he asked in a hushed voice. "But- he flies a Storm Sworder! 'N' these parts are for a Raynos!"

"So? Who said the parts were for him? Didn't ye hear? The Flight Team has a new member. Now there's 3 of them!" She replied, tone sharp. He cringed at the sound of her voice "Uh... Them parts'll be 'ere t'morrow." he babbled, then waddled into the back room.

Watching the fat man leave, Rhu sighed and left the shop. "Need to watch my temper." she muttered, exiting the City Gates. Climbing back into the Zoid she headed for the desert village Daska. 

~*~

Working on a Zoid, Matt frowned as a drop of sweat ran down his nose. Heaving the last turbine into place. "Mudack they're heavy." he grumbled, bolting it into position. 

"One of these days you have to tell me what Mudack means." Came the voice of Sean.

"Gah!" caught off guard, Matt promptly fell of the scaffolding platform. Picking himself up, he glared at Sean.

"Next time, Griffin, I suggest you hold onto the bars." Sean said cheerfully. 

"Thanks Falcon. I'll remember that." Matt replied sarcastically, dusting off his clothes. Outside, the distinct rumble of a Zoid Engine could be heard shutting down. Falcon and Griffin exchanged glances "She's back!" they chorussed, running out to greet Rhuidea.

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End Chapter 1

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There you go. First chapter of a new fic. This is my first Zoids fic, but I rp it alot. If you haven't already guessed, this is set in the New Century, not the Chaotic Century

~*~RC~*~


	2. Chapter 2

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Book of the Phoenix  
  
A Zoids Fanfic  
  
_A few notes: Phoenix - aka Rhuidea Griffin - aka Matt Falcon - aka Sean  
  
'ye' when said by Rhu sounds like 'yeh'  
  
On with the story!**  
  
~*~RC~*~  
**_  
Chapter 2  
  
Rhu leapt out of the cockpit, only to be swamped by Sean and Matt in huggles. "Can't -- breathe -- let -- me -- go!" she choked out. When the Griffin and Falcon finally released her, it took a few minutes for the 17yr old to get her breath back 

"Much as I like to be appreciated, try not to suffocate me next time please." Rhu said, stretching from her long journey. 

"Did you get the parts?" Falcon asked eagerly. 

"If that's why you're so pleased to see me, no." Rhu answered "But they'll be in tomorrow." she added quickly, seeing Griffin go from ecstatic to downcast rapidly. 

"Mudack." he muttered. 

Rhu and Sean looked at him "Que Pasa?" Rhu inquired. Matt shook his head 

"Later. I need to wrap up the work I was doing. Phoenix'll need that Zoid in tip-top condition 'afore they use it." he walked back into the Hangar. 

Rhu blinked "Oh yeah, the new guy. He here yet?" 

Sean grinned evilly "Maybe. Not allowed to tell you." 

She frowned "Meanie. So I take it their Battle name is 'Phoenix'?" Again Sean refused to tell her. Fluently cursing in a variety of languages, Rhu headed for bed early that night. 

She was tired from the long trip and Sean's infuriating smirk was close to being plastered on the wall. 

~*~ 

"WAKE UP!!" to yelling voices intruded Rhu's dreams. With a yelp she sat bolt upright, blinking sleepily as the two beaming figures came into focus. 

"You two are way too enthusiastic this early in the morning." she mumbled, climbing out of bed. "It's not healthy." 

"We know." Sean and Matt agreed. With a nod to each other they both stepped forward and seized one of Rhuidea's arms each. Cheerfully the pair dragged her down the hallyway towards where the Zoids were kept. 

Passing the kitchen, Rhu grabbed a convieniently placed mug of coffee. "Oh, and by the way, it's late afternoon, bed bug." Griffin added. 

Taking a drink, Rhu nearly spat it out "-the hell?!" the rest of her speech was hardly understandable- she started cursing in a string of different languages. Falcon snickered and Matt was close to breaking up in laughter. 

"You two shoved something in my food last night, didn't you?" Rhu demanded. Unable to hold their laughter in, the pair of warriors cracked up. Fuming, she stalked past them. Entering the Hangar Ruidea stopped. 

Infront of her rose the most beautiful Zoid she'd ever seen. The freshly polished Raynos armor glinting in the afternoon sun stood magnificently. Red and orange colours reflecting on the ceiling. On both wings a black Phoenix mark emblazoned there made the message clear. 

It belonged to the Phoenix, and no other. "That's incredible!" she breathed, transfixed. "Sure is. Took us all day to finish the job." Sean and Griffin stood either side of her. For once, all three were serious. 

"It's Phoenix's Zoid, the new guy, right?" Rhu asked, knowing there was no chance of her ever flying such a magnificent Zoid. 

"Yup." Sean handed her a warrior registration cartridge ((if anyone knows the real name for the mini-computer they enter into the zoid mainframe before each battle to register, LET ME KNOW!)) 

"What's this for? I'm no warrior!" she protested, confused. "

We want you to pilot this Raynos." Griffin informed her, slinging an arm across her shoulders. 

"Me? But why Me, of all people?" 

"We've watched you working on Zoids - no one we know is better at speed repairs - and whenever you pilot that Sinker-" Matt paused, thinking about how to phrase it. 

"You're good. Really good in a Zoid. My mother always said that 'The way down a path you like comes but once- the rest are for others'. And this is your path." 

"Rhu, you never once complained about not battling, never told of that burning desire within you to be the best you could be. No matter how you hide it, actions speak louder than words. And expressions speak louder than actions." Sean told her, planting to hands on her back, pushing the girl forward. 

Done wih being formal, Falcon and Griffin were determined to see the Phoenix Fly. "All right. I give up. I'm the Phoenix." Rhu walked towards the Raynos and climbed into the cockpit. 

"Whadda you gonna call it?" Falcon called. 

"Every good Zoid has a name." added Griffin 

"Name? Let's see... FireBird. My FireBird." So saying, the Raynos rose into the air on it's Maiden Flight, Rhu in the cockpit. Rhuidea had been born to fly. And fly she would.  
  
End Chapter 2  
**  
_Should I keep going with this? Should I include romance? A little help would be nice here. Leave a review if you so desire, and as usual, all messages are passed through my friend _oceandgoddess_ on neopets. ~*~RC~*~ _**


	3. Chapter 3

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Book of the Phoenix

A Zoids Fanfic

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Me again. Thanks to Ravi and Philip for your reviews- keepin' em in mind. ^.^ Here's the 3rd chapter. I'm not sure where to go with this fanfic, it was originally just an origin story as to how Rhuidea became the Phoenix… Ok, now I'm blabbing. On with the fic!

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~*~ RC ~*~

Chapter 3

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'NameRhuidea Catstone

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A.K.A."Flying Phoenix"

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ZoidRaynos- dubbed "FireBird"

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Known HistoryCurrently lives with "Griffin" and "Falcon" in Doi. Has been living there for 4 years, having begun career as "Phoenix" 3 years ago

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Fighting StyleAttacks, then defends and counters. Likes to lock onto target, following them until opportune time to attack arises. Quick reflexes

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TeamFlight Team- "Griffin" aka Matt Shard "Falcon" aka Sean Chise

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Current StatusPotential to excel among Back-Draft Ranks if the offer is accepted'

The committee of seven stood to attention as the Count looked up, tossing the file onto his desk. "Who did you send to spy?" he asked.

"Spider." Was the answer.

"And this is what he managed to gather in information?"

"Indeed." Replied a member

"Good. Since he was given the mere six hours to gather the information, it is an achievement for sure. Your opinions on this… 'Rhuidea'?"  
"For sure she would be an excellent addition to the Back-Draft Organization, provided she could be persuaded."  
"And if not?"

"Our advice is to eliminate her if she refuses- that girl is smart, and as a sworn enemy dangerous."

"Do it." The Count watched as the screen flipped off.

~*~

Rhuidea wove her way through the crowded streets, returning from the Café. As she walked, her orange-red battle gear stood out among the drably dressed people, drawing many an awed stare. "I'll never get used to living in the city." She muttered, narrowly dodging a large group of tourists. Cursing, she darted into an alley to escape the stares. "Guess I'll take the back route home." Walking down the alleyway, a young man about her age stepped out of the shadows. Halting, she eyed him warily. 

"Phoenix?" he asked, black hair glinting.

Rhu nodded slowly "I am."

"Good." A second figure grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms so she couldn't use them. 

Looking around, Rhu saw it was a woman of the same age, her amber eyes glinting victoriously. 

The dark-haired man stepped closer. "The count wants to talk to you." 

Rhu snorted "I don't want to talk to him." 

The woman cuffed her. "Show respect!"

Gritting her teeth, Rhu remained quiet and thought about how to get out of this. "Oh. And I should add, _Phoenix,"_ the guy flicked her nose "I'm Spider." He turned

"No you're not." Rhu answered

Turning back to face her, Spider's eyes went to slits "What was that?" he asked, venom in his voice

"You're not Spider. _You're dead_!" Rhu lunged at him, breaking free of the woman. 

Spider cocked his gun, aimed straight at her. "Another step and you'll regret it."

Rhuidea glared at him, raising her arms in defeat. "Sai, if you would?" the woman came up behind Phoenix, grabbing her arms again. "Let's go." Sai grunted, pushing Rhu into step behind Spider.

~*~

Rhu paced her cell frantically thinking of a way to get out. 

__

What on earth would they want me for? She wondered, leaning against the wall dejectedly. _Matt and Sean'll be worried about me. _

Spider came to her gate "He'll talk with you now."

"Come back later." She threw back, slumping to the ground and sitting in a corner defiantly.

"Get up."

"Negative."

"Do it, or I'll make you."

"And you intend to do that, how?"

"Like this." Swiftly Spider entered, dealing her across the head.

"…" knocked unconscious, Rhu's body slumped.

Spider smirked and picked her up, not roughly, not gently. Carrying her out of the cell, he checked that the handcuffs were tightly secure, before knocking on the Count's door.

"Enter."

~*~

The sharp scent of smelling salts brought Rhuidea around. Groaning, she raised her head, looking eye to eye with Spider. "Get away from me."

For once, Spider simply nodded and stepped back, allowing the Count to see her.

Rhu glared at him "It's a pleasure to meet you." he said pleasantly, walking around his desk.

"I'd say the same, but I wouldn't want to lie." She replied, voice full of venom.

To her surprise, all he did was chuckle. "I suppose you're wondering why you're here?" the Count asked.

She nodded slowly "That'd be useful." Testing her wrists, Rhu mentally cursed. They were tied with rope to either sides of her chair, and handcuffed on top of that.

"Well, you were brought here so I could make an offer." He began

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested." She interrupted, sliding a dagger out from her sleeve. 

"Let me finish." Turning away from her, he looked down at her file. Spider had long since left the room. 

Quietly cutting through the bonds, Rhu listened to him. The Count went on about how they'd been watching her, how she was a star pilot, and how they chose people for the Organization.

__

Only the cuffs to go now… Phoenix thought, looking around for a means of escape. _Perfect. _A small window, about the size of the Count's chair back was positioned in the ceiling, like a skylight. _As for how to get up there…_

"…So what I'm leading up to, is this." He turned to her. "We, the Back-Draft Organization, want _you_ to join _us._"

Rhu spluttered "What?! No way! Not in a thousand years!" she snapped, green-grey eyes blazing furiously. 

"It's either that, or we'll hunt you down and eliminate you if you say no." the Count said slowly, death in every syllable.

"No."

He sighed. "As you wi – " cut off by Rhu's foot, her kick sent him sprawling into the desk. Standing in front of him, Rhu frowned at the handcuffs. _That'll have to wait…_ she thought, looking around for something to climb on. Already the Count was trying to stand up. _Aha!_ Pulling the chair over, she stood directly under the skylight. Placing her hands on the pane, Rhu pushed and dislodged it. 

__

"GUARDS!" The Count bellowed. The doors burst open just as Rhuidea began climbing out.

Spider looked around for Rhu, in time to see her feet disappear. Cursing he darted after her, leaving the guards to mind the Count.

"I'm gonna get you Phoenix." He muttered darkly, climbing out onto the hull of the WhaleKing. "And make sure you don't rise from the ashes ever again."

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Chapter 3, people. I'm still not sure whether I should put romance in this or not… and who with who… *shrugs* damnit. Oh, and for clarification- 'Mudack' is a Russian curse

I really appreiciate advice, so thanks for all reviews!

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~*~RC~*~


	4. Chapter 4

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Book of the Phoenix

A Zoids Fanfic

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Here be I, with yet another new chapter. *looks at pre-written speech* Well that's all I have to say- go and read ^.^

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~*~RC~*~

Chapter 4

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Having climbed through the Skylight, Rhuidea paused. 

__

Now what genius? She thought irritably. Looking around, that's when Rhu realised- she was atop a massive, black Whaleking. Which was in mid-air over some desert? 

__

The way this is turning out, things are gonna get interesting…

Spider chuckled, looking at her as he swung up to join her. "Gonna jump Phoenix?" he mocked. 

Rhu titled her head. "Sounds like a plan!" she began running towards the edge.

A flying tackle sent the pair crashing to the ground. Rhu's arm caught on metal, creating a gash the length of her forearm. 

Cursing, she tried to stand but couldn't, owing to the fact Spider still pinned her from knees down. "You ain't goin' anywhere!"

Somehow Rhu kicked him off, trying to hold the pain in her arm back. A dull throb in her head meant a headache, but she pushed it away to deal with later. Escape was the top priority right now. She stood defiantly in front of him, looking like the proud Phoenix she was.

"If I'm not going anywhere- you certainly are!" Rhu snapped, darting behind him and trapping his arms.

~*~

Matt paced outside the Hangar anxiously, Falcon watching him steadily. 

"She should be back by now." Griffin muttered. 

Sean grimaced. "Too true. Rhu said she'd be back in two days. Day three, and no sign."

Matt stopped pacing. "She's like a sister to us- and I don't like this."

"Nor do I, Griffin. Nor do I." Falcon sighed. "But there's nothing we can do."

Matt hit the wall of the hangar with his fist angrily. "That's the worst part."

~*~

Rhu darted behind Spider, trapping and pinning his arms. "Let's learn to fly!" she hissed, pulling both of them closer to the edge.

Spider broke free of the grip. "You trying to kill us both?!" he demanded, the pair teetering on the very brink. "No way _either_ of us'd survive that fall!"

Rhu nodded grimly "I figured."

The next few moments were a blur. Rhuidea felt her arm shoot out, and saw Spider fall. 

His scream brought Rhu back to harsh reality.

Gritting her teeth, Rhu jumped, and began to plummet through the air.

__

A fairly short chappie I know ^.^ … I think… *hides* the next chapter is either up now (as in when you're reading this) or it'll be up tomorrow. Provided I'm not in a lazy mood…

Ja Ne

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~* ~RC~*~


	5. Chapter 5

**Book of the Phoenix**

**A Zoids fanfic**

**_*_**_Bows***** greetings. I'm running out of things to say in these Author Notes… gomen._

_Oh, and I should probably shove a Disclaimer in here, eh? *Sighs* very well. Behold my Disclaimer:_

*Snickers* you _actually_ think I might have ownership of Zoids?! *sweatdrops* wish I did, but I don't.

_*Shudders* ugh, I feel like a suck-up or something, having to write a bloody DISCLAIMER. *Rubs arms frantically* so unclean! _

_Ah well._

_Here's chapter 5, people. Enjoy!_

_PS- I should add, this chapter is going to be revised ASAP!_

**_~*~RC~*~_**

Chapter 5

"My head…" Rhu groaned, opening her eyes. "Where the hell am I…?" she looked around. Where ever she was, it sure was white. Sitting up, Rhu winced. A bolt of pain went up her arm. _Well now I know I'm not dead- otherwise pain would be non-existent…_

"It's a hospital…" she realised, discovering herself dressed in the classic hospital gown. 

On her left, sat two nosily snoring figures, sprawled over several chairs. Judging by the weariness on both the Griffin's and the Falcon's faces, they'd been there for a while.

Which meant she was safe- this was a real hospital, not some Back-Draft infirmary. 

Without warning, she sneezed. The abrupt action did two things: send another bolt of pain through her arm, and wake Sean.

Blearily, he opened an eye. Realising Rhu was sitting up and looking at him with her head titled, he elbowed Matt, before darting to the bedside. 

"You're awake!" and he swamped her with brotherly hugs. 

Matt went from sleepy to wide awake when he saw Phoenix. He too joined the hug.

Rhu was content to grin and bear it- any movement hurt her arm. Looking down at it, she nearly freaked. 

The entire length of her arm was wrapped in bandage, and she could see along her forearm the outline of stitches. _What the hell did I do?_ Then she remembered. 

The Back-Draft.

The Count.

Spider.

"Do you realize you've been out of it for about 4 days?" Sean demanded, when Griffin and he finally released her. 

Rhu looked startled. "But- how'd you find me?"

"We don't know all the details, but apparently some Zoid Warriors found you in the miuddle of a battle. They brought you here." Matt explained. Sean took up where he left off.

"They – the hospital – called us, saying you'd come in. O' course we came straight here. It was awful, seeing you lie here. Silent and still, like death itself. According to the doc, you had a concussion, your arm – " he pointed at it " – and had somehow managed to lose a fair amount of blood." 

Rhu paled. "All I did was jump off a WhaleKing from midair…"

Bad move.

Sean and Griffin stared at her, at loss for words to say. Rhu could see the danger signs- they were about to start yelling at her for being such an idiot.

"The Back-Draft." She said hurriedly, as Falcon opened his mouth.

Sean quickly closed it at these words.

"They- they wanted me to join them. But I wouldn't. Now they want to kill me."

Both Griffin and Falcon just stared at her.

"Later." Matt finally broke the silence. "C'mon, let's get you back to the Hangar."

Rhu nodded, and with their help, she got up, ready to head for Home.

Though it wouldn't be for much longer.

But she didn't know that…

_^.^ Chapter 5- it's going to be revised, as soon as all my exams are over, and I can think of something better to put in. Till then though… heh. You're stuck with this._

_Anyo!_

**_~*~RC~*~_**


	6. Chapter 6

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The Book of the Phoenix

A Zoids fanfic

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*huggles R-chan* Thankyou! For all you readers out there, this chapter was written by R-chan. Mainly because if I wrote it, I would more than just screw up her character- it would be beyond recognition… ^^; so anyway, here's Chapter 6, fresh from R-chan's computer! ^.^

~*~RC~*~

Rhu was pacing through the hangar, thoughts running a rampage through her mind. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to make sense of the information she now knew. She had explained, as briefly as possible, to Matt and Sean what had happened, then immediately resumed to pacing. Sean and Matt watched her, the two of them seated.

"I can't believe they asked me to join them," Rhu said heatedly. "I can't believe it! Why did they pick me?"

"…Because you're a good warrior?" Sean piped in cheerfully.

Rhu glowered at him, grumbling, "It was a rhetorical question. Besides, why didn't they pick 'ye or Matt? You're both good too." And that was the most they could get out of her as she went back to pacing.

"You think she's mad?" Matt muttered in question.

"Defiantly."

~*~

A figure, not taller then six feet and no smaller then five walked down a long corridor, a cool, confident gaze in steel gray eyes. Dark blue hair fell a little past her chin, framing a well-defined, determined-set face with cold, ruthless eyes. Her attire included a black jacket with a gray lining around it, which was left open, wearing a sleeveless gray shirt beneath it accompanied with black pants. Her boots made little noise as she continued on, complementing the deadly silence around her.

Reaching a door she let herself in without knocking-she had been called and was expected. Inside the room there was little light-just how the owner of this room liked it-and she didn't mind a bit either.

She bowed down on one knee, her fist over her heart, to a person who she could not see but knew was there. "Sir."

"Ah, Ravi," the man said. "So good of you to come."

The figure stood, nodding her head in acknowledgment. "I heard you have a job for me-is that correct, Sir?" she asked, standing tall and clasping her hands behind her back.

"Your ears do not fail you, Ravi. Indeed I do have a job for you-one that should prove a bit more challenging to you."

Ravi snorted at the likeliness of it. "I'm sure it's a real thriller," she said sarcastically. "Just like the other assignments you've sent me on."

"Spider failed his mission to destroy Rhuidea Catstone."

"What?" Ravi asked, rocking back on her heels in shock. Everyone knew about this assignment, and Spider had been sure to accomplish it easily-but, obviously, he hadn't. "But that would mean-"

The Count cut her off. "You are to take his place. You are to destroy the Flight Team in whatever means possible-just get the job done."

Ravi bowed her head. "You can count on me, Sir."

The Count grinned. "I know I can, Ravi. I expect nothing but the best from you.

"Now go make some last minute adjustments to your zoid-the Flight Team has a sanctioned Zoid battle in two days. Any information you need is in your office in a folder on your desk."

Ravi bowed to her knee again. "As you wish it, Sir."

"I have no doubt in you that you will accomplish this mission, Ravi. Do not disappoint me."

A light smirk traveled across Ravi's face. "Don't worry-I won't." And with that, she was out the door and into the hallway once more.

_ We shall see how challenging you are, Catstone, she thought to herself with a smirk. We shall see._

~*~

Rhu was excited about the battle today-it would be the first battle she would be in since the whole 'incident' with the Back Draft group.

She sighed, thinking back to it. Sean and Matt wouldn't let her go out of the hangar alone now unless one of them was with her, and they overly worried about her. They didn't even want her in today's battle because of her arm, but she told them that she was going _and that was final._

Getting to the battlefield, she searched around for the other team, Matt in his customized Storm Sworder on her right, and Sean in his heavily modified Pteras on her left. They were the Eclipse Team, made up of three Command Wolves. Rhu had heard that they had been doing well for themselves, and was eager to test her skills against them. When she didn't see the, she figured they must have been hiding out in the battlefield.

Rhu watched the judge land and go through his usual speech about the rules and such. She toned him out, as usual-she knew the words by heart and didn't need them repeated to her again and again.

However, the judge was instantly interrupted by what looked like a large black comet, which slammed right into the judge capsule. When it landed, Rhu's blood went cold.

"Back Draft," Sean announced grimly.

A black light shot out of the sphere, creating a force-field like barrier around the entire battlefield. Rhu noted with some relief that it was surely high enough to fly in-whoever had designed it had known there would be aerial zoids around. At first, the barrier was a very visible jet black, but after a few moments it turned transparent, and would every so often crackle, electricity racing through it.

"We can't escape now," Sean muttered to his teammates.

"Who said we wanted to?" Matt grumbled. "We're taking them down."

"Much, _much_ easier said then done, my friend," a voice said, crackling over their transmissions. The Flight Team could see no one on their screens, but they could certainly hear them-and somehow, the Back Draft could hear their conversations as well.

"Who's there?" Rhu demanded.

"Who wants to know?" the voice replied coolly.

"Me. The Phoenix," Rhu said coldly-she did _not_ like people messing with her or her teammates, Back Draft or not.

"You can call me Snow Leopard," the voice answered, and suddenly Rhu realized that a Storm Sworder was closing in on her from above-and it wasn't Matt's. The color was slightly different from the normal Storm Sworder's-but she had no time to worry about its color at the moment.

She fired up the Firebird's boosters and shot out of the way, barely in time. She had a growing, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The Firebird was fast-

-but the Storm Sworder was too.

Sean, however, beat her to saying it. "It's fast," he murmured.

"Yeah…" was all Rhu could say-there would be only one-way to win this battle-by skill. She could not rely on her speed as heavily as she used to. The only hope she had was that the Firebird was more agile.

Rhu took to the high altitudes, checking out the area and what they were up against, sending the data back to Matt and Sean. "We've got two enemy Storm Sworders and three Zabiths," Rhu informed them. "And… Still no sign of the Eclipse Team."

A cold chuckle made Rhu's blood run cold. "You won't be seeing them for a long while," the Snow Leopard answered her, and Rhu saw the Storm Sworder advancing on her right. "If ever."

Rhu gritted her teeth angrily and continued straight up into the sky. She quickly banked a right turn, cutting off the Snow Leopard, and continued on.

"Impressive," the voice muttered, amused, and stubbornly continued to follow.

~*~

Sean and Matt watched Rhu take to the sky and were all for following her-that is, until they were attacked by the Zabiths and the other Storm Sworder. "I've got the Storm Sworder, you take care of the Zabiths," Sean said, and pealed away from Matt.

Matt smirked slightly and readied his weaponry, and in mere moments the sky was alive with missiles-though they were not shot blindly. He watched one spiral to the ground and he thought, _One down, two more to go._

~*~

Sean speeded up his Pteras, calculations running through his head quickly. _Matt will be find with the Zabiths-he may not be speedy, but he sure has a hell of a lot of ammo on that Zoid… Rhu should be able to manage on her own with the other until I'm finished here. That 'Snow Leopard' modified her zoid into one hell of a high-speed zoid, and if I'm correct about that zoid, Rhu's going to need all of the help she can get…_

~*~

Rhu continued dodging the Snow Leopard assaults, being missed by only a hair-and she knew couldn't keep this up for long-she needed a different strategy. Rhu spun the Firebird around in a quick 180˚ and shot at the Storm Sworder. She knew that either one of two things would happen-the Storm Sworder would be hit and would go down-or the Storm Sworder would barrel straight into her and would take the both of them down.

~*~

Ravi's eyes widened as she saw the Raynos turn and face her and fire a volley of shots in her direction. Having no time to think, Ravi threw the zoid into the highest gear it could possibly go and turned straight up. Ravi got away with only a few dents in her zoid's armor, though was otherwise fine. She continued, however, to fly straight up without a second glance to Catstone.

The girl was infuriating. Every attack she had made, the Phoenix had dodged, even if by only a hair. Catstone's zoid matched her own in speed, and now the only real advantage she had was the Storm Sworder's larger size and more firepower-though most of it had been taken off to accommodate it's speed.

_The Phoenix is good, no doubt about it_, Ravi thought to herself_. But hopefully, not good enough._

~*~

Sean made quick work of the Storm Sworder that had pursued him, and was off to help Rhu. "Rhu," he said to her. "Go help Matt-they dispatched more Zabiths on him, and you have more firepower then I do," he told her, and flying past her at full speed, he continued on his way to find the 'Snow Leopard.'

He spotted the Storm Sworder not to far ahead, and in no time he zoomed past it, surprising the pilot. "You've got a new birdie to play with," Sean muttered to her, "But this birdie's fast-and angry."

The Storm Sworder turned and rushed past him, the wind unsettling Sean's WindShot in the air. "Race ya," came the voice, almost breathy at the thought of a race.

How could he resisit? Sean turned the Windshot down towards the ground, following closely behind the Snow Leopard.

Suddenly the Storm Sworder in front of him disappeared, and Sean instinctively flicked on his heat sensors. He noticed that, even with the heat sensors on, she was harder to make out then a usual cloaked zoid. He squinted slightly, making out the figure of her Storm Sworder as she turned up, now flying parallel to the ground. He did likewise, staying close on her tail.

_Why did she cloak herself? _Sean thought to himself. S_he knows we're good, and that we would have heat sensors… _He squinted again-for a second he though he had lost her.

The Storm Sworder suddenly turned and shot nose-first into the sky, and too late did Sean see the crackling intensity of the barrier, and it was too late when he decided to pull up.

~*~

When Rhu heard Sean say that he would take care of the Snow Leopard she was about to protest but then realized that Matt needed her help more then Sean did at the moment. Reluctantly she turned and headed back to Matt, picking off an unsuspecting Zabith.

"Thanks," was Matt's reply as he shot through the air, picking off Zabiths as he did. Rhu looked around, trying to take a count of the Zabiths, but there were just too many.

Rhu looked at a small group of them, no more then four, and checked to make sure Matt was out of harms way. Doing that, she fired the Firebird's boosters and shot forward, breaching the sound barrier. The sonic boom followed behind her, and it took out all four of the Zabiths as she blew by them.

"How's Sean doing?" Rhu asked Matt as she turned towards him. "Can you see him?"

"Yeah… The Snow Leopard cloaked herself, for some reason…" Matt answered, seeming puzzled at her actions**.**

Rhu was as well-

That was, she_ had_ been, until she saw Sean slam into the electric barrier and go careening to the ground. "SEAN!" Rhu cried, watching on in horror, helpless to stop his fall. "Sean!" Rhu's sudden shock of worry and grief quickly transformed into cold fury-raw, unsuppressed, anger, unbridled and needing a target.

The Snow Leopard would pay.

Rhu clutched the controls in her hands tightly and she blasted towards the Storm Sworder, rage dancing in her gray-green eyes. "Snow Leopard," she growled over the radio, "You're mine."

"You know, I was just about to say the same," the Snow Leopard said in a cocky voice as she turned her cloaking device off, now becoming visible. 

"At least we agree on something."

The Snow Leopard chuckled and shot into the sky, Rhu right behind her. Rhu's gunfire fired closely, some hitting, but most not.

Suddenly something in the sky caught her eye-a large cloaked object… a Warshark?! So _that's_ how they were able to get all those Zabiths here! Rhu turned her guns toward it-anything that would hurt the Back Draft would, eventually, hurt the Snow Leopard. She shot rapidly, trying to cause maximum damage.

~*~ 

It didn't take long for Ravi to figure out what Rhu was doing. Growling angrily, she spun the Storm Sworder towards the Raynos, firing her own weaponry at her. As soon as the Phoenix knew she was being shot at, she spun. "You're through!" she snarled and shot straight towards Ravi. Ravi, shocked, wondered what in the world she was doing-her Storm Sworder was bigger then the Raynos, and it had blades on it's wings. _If she wants to get herself killed, that's fine with me,_ Ravi thought with a smirk and shot forwards to meet her.

The next movement on the Phoenix's behalf went by so quickly, Ravi didn't really know what happened until after. The Firebird's wings suddenly tucked in, and the zoid dropped. Once below Ravi, the wings reopened, stopping Catstone's descend. The gun turned and pointed up-straight at Ravi-and fired.

Ravi was hit and went spiraling down to the ground, gritting her teeth angrily and she fought with the controls. When she finally could control her zoid, she was closer to the ground then she would have liked.

"Retreat, Snow Leopard," A voice ordered over Ravi's speaker.

"What? Why? I can still fight," Ravi growled, ignoring the fact that the Phoenix had hit her gas tank and was loosing fuel rapidly, not to mention the fact that her wings were literally smoking.

"This is a order, 'Leopard, and you will obey it. They have taken out more then half of the Zabiths force, and your zoid is in no condition to fight. Retreat."

Ravi grumbled, her eyes narrowed to slits. "I'll get you back, Phoenix," she hissed. "_No one_ gets the better of me."

~*~

Matt had watched his best friend crash, then watched his other go off to avenge him-and he could only pray that they were both all right. He would have wanted to help Rhu and Sean take down the Snow Leopard, but his zoid would never be able to keep up with theirs. Growling in frustration, he slammed his fist on the controls. He could listen to what was happening, but not see it.

"I'll get you back Phoenix. _No one_ gets the better of me." When Matt heard that, his blood ran cold-that was a threat, certainly-and Rhu already had enough Back Draft-related problems.

~*~

Rhu dropped down to Matt's altitude, suddenly very weary. "She left," she muttered, watching the remaining Zabiths turn and high-tail it out of there.

"You sure?" Matt asked her, and she answered that she was. "Let's go see Sean…"

The two landed near the ruined zoid, fearing the worst. Rhu and Matt hopped out of their cockpits and cautiously climbed over the zoid towards the cockpit. "I see him!" Rhu cried. "I see him!"

Sean had crawled out of the cockpit, or at least tried to, but had then passed out. He had a large bruise forming over his left eye from banging into something and one of his shoulders hung limp-but, from what they could see, he was still alive and kicking.

They all were. But if Ravi had anything to do with it, it would only be temporarily.

__

There ye go folks- it took a while to get typed and what not, but the end result is wonderful. *looks happy* Once again, THANKYOU R-CHAN!!!!!!!!!!! *taps hat* Couldn't've done it without ye! ^.^

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~*~RC~*~


	7. Chapter 7

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Book of the Phoenix

A Zoids Fanfic

Well here's another chapter also done by R-chan! ^.^ Reviews and such are appreciated, should you choose to leave one ^.^

~*~RC~*~

Chapter Seven

A few weeks later, Rhu, Sean, and Matt were sitting in their hangar at the table, talking about parts they needed for their zoids. Like nothing had happened. Like Rhu had never been kidnapped, and they hadn't been attacked. But they couldn't forget it-Sean's arm was in a cast, and Rhu was quieter then before. Not by much, but they noticed it.

"My zoid's a total wreck," Sean said with a pout. "I think it'd be cheaper to just buy a new one."

"And then make all of the modifications? We're not made of money, Falcon," Matt grumbled, but a grin was on his face. Sean sighed and dropped his head at this news. "But… we'll see what we can do."

Sean's head popped up and he was grinning like nothing had ever happened. "Good. I knew you would."

Rhu seemed a little distant, and wasn't really participating in the conversation. She suddenly got up, her chair screeching as it was pushed back from the table. "I'm going to the Parts Shop. T' see if our parts are in."

Sean and Matt instantly were serious. "Matt'll go with ye, since I'm kind of…" Falcon shrugged and indicated to his cast.

"No thanks. I'll be fine." Rhu looked to Matt and Sean's doubting faces. "Really. I'll be fine."

"It's getting dark," Matt muttered, looking out the window.

"So hurry home 'fore the Big Bad Wolf gets ye," Sean said with a cheery grin. Rhu sighed and rolled her eyes as she walked out of the hangar, looking to the darkening sky as she made her way to the Parts Shop, unaware of two steel gray eyes watching from the rooftops above.

~*~

Ravi watched Rhu exit the hangar, making her way down the streets. She followed from leaping from roof-top to roof-top, making sure she never lost sight of Catstone-and making sure Catstone never got sight of _her_. Watching Catstone walk into the Parts Shop she climbed down a fire escape ladder, leaping to the ground. She walked to the front of the store and sat down on a bench, waiting, and remembering the earlier conversation she had with the Count.

__

~*~

"You let her get away._"_

Those words had cut into Ravi like ice-she had never failed a mission, and wouldn't start now-Catstone may have eluded her in battle, but she would not escape-and she had killed Spider. "Please, sir. Let me have another chance to eliminate Catstone. On my honor._"_

The Count raised a brow. "Well, Ravi, you seemed determined… I know standard protocol says that I should eliminate you_, but I'm willing to give you another chance. Eliminate Catstone- By whatever matters you deem necessary. _Whatever_ matters."_

"Sir?" she had questioned. Sure, she had killed people before-but in Zoid battles-she had never killed anyone by any other means. To some people there was no difference-but to Ravi, it made all the difference.

"Just get rid of her, Ravi. Tonight," the Count said. "We've allowed her to live long enough."

Ravi nodded, bowing her head. "Will do, Sir." She bowed down, clasping a fist to her heart, and was gone.

~*~

Ravi waited for Catstone patiently; she had been given another chance at life-but Catstone, on the contrary, had another chance to lose it. Was it right to end another's life to live your own? Ravi didn't know-and didn't care-and with cool, ruthless eyes she pulled out her gun and made sure it was loaded.

~*~

Rhu walked into the Parts Shop, trying to shake off the feeling that she was being watched. Finding that the parts were not in yet, she huffed and turned around, glancing out the window a brief moment, catching glimpse of someone sitting on the bench.

Rhu didn't understand herself why she continued to watch through the window, but she did understand one thing-for some reason, she did not want to walk out that door with that girl sitting on the bench.

The girl could be no older then herself and had dark blue hair that ended at her chin, and steel gray eyes. The girl reached to her pocket and pulled out a gun-and Rhu knew instantly that she had to get out of there-fast. With wide eyes, Rhu ran past the shopkeeper and burst out the back door, running down the alleys back to the hangar praying that her teammates were all right.

~*~

Ravi's sharp ears caught the slamming of a door-and she knew, somehow, that Catstone had gone. "Kuso," she muttered to herself as she stood, placing the gun back in her pocket. She quickly made her way back to the rooftops, going to the only place Catstone would go-back to the hangar.

Ravi followed Rhu and kept up with her step for step. Seeing her chance, Ravi swung down from the roof and onto a fire escape-from there she leaped down to the ground, right in front of Phoenix's path. The now dark blue sky and gloomy alleyways hid her well as she stood and pointed the gun-right into Catstone's face. "Unless you want your head to go rolling down this alley," Ravi said, speaking in a calm, dangerously low voice, "I suggest you stay put and not even so much as twitch."

~*~

Rhu found herself staring down the barrel of a gun. Her eyes widened as her heart stopped for a moment. She couldn't even blink. How had she been found? The voice snapped Rhu out of her frozen state-she knew it, from somewhere… "S-Snow Leopard?" she asked.

The voice chuckled. "How nice of you to know me." Without taking her eyes off Rhu, she pulled something off of her belt-what looked like to be a walkie-talkie, and spoke into it. "Akio and Kanji," she spoke into it, "Get over here. Now." There was no response from the two, well, at least, nothing that Rhu could hear, and she could only glare at Snow Leopard furiously. "You're not going to get away with this," she growled.

Snow Leopard only chuckled in response. "Dear Phoenix, it looks as if you've not recognized the fact that I already have."

Two figures suddenly landed beside Rhu, the two of them looking to Snow Leopard for directions.

"Restrain her," Snow Leopard ordered, her voice leaving no room for questions. Akio and Kanji did what was ordered of them, each grabbing one of Rhu's arms. Snow Leopard clicked the safety back on as she slid the gun into her pocket one more. She did not stay unarmed for long, however, as she pulled a knife out of her belt. "Say, Phoenix," she asked, smirking, "has Falcon or Griffin ever been trained in the art of hand-to-hand combat?"

Rhu was puzzled for a moment. "What? Why?" Suddenly it hit her. "NO! Leave them out of this! It's me you want-not them! They didn't do anything!" Rhu cried, struggling violently. She slammed her heel down into one of the men's foot and he howled in pain, releasing her instantly. She spun to the other man, but a hand grabbed her arm in a painful grip, preventing her from hitting the other man.

"Their death can be long and painful, or short and simple," Snow Leopard hissed.

Rhu glared furiously at Snow Leopard for a few moments, then slumped, defeat in her eyes. The Flight Team was done with. Gone. Over with.

"Glad you see things my way," Snow Leopard sneered, and shoved her back into the hands of the Back Draft member as she turned and headed for Rhu's hangar.

~*~

Ravi made her way to the hangar, melding with the shadows until she was practically invisible. Her footsteps were light and made no sound at all as she came to the door, unlocking it with a simple twist of her dagger in the right place. She squeezed in, the door shutting behind her with a soft click.

The hangar was mildly dark, but not enough for Ravi to remain unseen. She spotted Falcon at a table with his back facing to her. Before she had time to do anything, Griffin appeared through a doorway-and unfortunately for Ravi, he was facing her. "Falcon-_Run!_" he ordered at a yell-he somehow knew that Ravi was trouble by the cruel glint in her eyes.

Falcon pushed himself up from his seat and ran, following Griffin out of the back door without even seeing the reason he was running-he trusted Griffin.

With a growl, Ravi stood and followed-but they had the head start on her.

~*~

Matt and Sean ran through the alleyways, hoping they could outrun whoever it was who was chasing them.

"Who was it?" Sean asked as he ran.

"Not sure," Matt replied.

The two of them found themselves nearly right back in front of the hangar. Though this was not where they had wanted to end up, they were glad when they saw the frame of a figure they both knew well.

"Rhu!" the two of them called, their voices ringing out in the silent of the night. With a roar of fury, Matt tackled one, and Sean slammed his fist into the other. The final result? A free Rhu.

"Come on!" Matt urged her as he practically dragged her down the alley, silently furious eyes watching from the roofs. 

~*~

Matt, Sean, and Rhu were now at the busiest part of the city-even at night it was still crawling with people.

Rhu had finally come to her senses and new that she and her teammates had to hide-but where?

Sean came up with an answer. "The oasis," he gasped as he stood in the crowd, trying to catch his breath. "That way, we'll be able to see her if she comes."

Rhu nodded. "Right. You two get going-I'll be right behind you." Matt and Sean looked at one another, then looked to Rhu. "I'll be fine. Go!"

"She said that the last time," Sean muttered to Matt as the two of them squeezed their way out into the desert surrounding the city, heading to a not-too-distant oasis.

"She can take care of herself," was Griffin's answer.

~*~

Ravi watched Falcon and Matt make a run to a destination she did not know of, as she raised her gun, pointing it at the Griffin. _Who to kill first…_ She aimed and shot point-blank range for the back of Griffin's head-and rarely, if ever, did she miss-but her hand jerked as she did so. The bullet hit the sand near the Griffin's foot, alerting to the two that she was there. The two rang harder, trying to get away.

__

What is the matter with you! She scolded herself. _Get the job done, and get it done_ NOW. She raised the gun again with a shaky hand, and steadied it with her other. "I will not fail. I will not miss," she said, speaking to herself in a whisper. But she couldn't make herself pull the trigger. With a shaky hand, she lowered the gun. _I_ have _to kill them. It is my job. It is my duty. If I fail, I will not have to live with the shame of my failure-for I will be dead,_ she thought. But she just could not bring the gun back up. _It's too easy. They're unaware that I am here. It's not honorable to kick a man while he's down, and I do not think it is honorable to shot him in the back whilst he is runnin'. I will fight only when they have the chance to fight back-on the battlefield._

~*~

Hearing the gunshot, Phoenix lifted herself from the cover of the crowd. "Matt! Sean!" Fearing for their lives, she shoved her way through the swarm of people.

Ravi's eyes traveled to Catstone-it was her duty to kill her. If she did, she could go back to living her normal life with the Back Draft. If she did not, one of two things would happen, but it would lead to the same conclusion-her life would be ended by the Back Draft. Ravi once again aimed the gun. _What am I-a murderer?_ Ravi had forgotten the reason she had joined the Back Draft in the first place. _I joined the Back Draft to have fights without rules. To take Zoid battles to a new level._ She let the gun fall out of her hand and land on the roof. _Not to assassinate people for them. I am no cold-blooded murderer for anyone. Not even if it means my own life. _She glanced to the fleeing forms of Falcon and Griffin, then glanced once to Phoenix. _Quite a deal, three lives for the price of one. _She considered this for a moment as she dropped from the rooftops onto the ground as she made her way through the crowds in a daze. _Bargain struck, warriors. Bargain struck._

Rhu raced through the sands, stumbling in her haste to get to Matt and Sean-they _had_ to be all right. Had to.

"Matt? Sean?" she cried out, upon reaching the oasis. "Are you gu-"

Rhu was cut off as she was enveloped in a flurry of hugs.

Matt held her out in front of him, inspecting her to make sure no damage had come to Phoenix. He broke out in a grin. "We did it, Phoenix. We did it." And then the friendly hugs began anew by both Falcon and Griffin.

Rhu did nothing to stop the hugs, and when they were done, she explained to them who the woman was and what had happened before she had met up with them.

"So, we'll spend the night here," Rhu finished.

"And… tomorrow?" Sean inquired.

"Tomorrow? We'll think about tomorrow when tomorrow comes," Rhu answered.

Sean pouted. "I'm hungry."

Matt shoved the Falcon with a grin, which started the mock battle between them, Sean running around the Oasis, Matt trying to catch him. Lucky for Sean, Matt never was a person of high speeds.

Rhu watched them, grinning she sat down, leaning against the trunk of a tree. She soon drifted off to sleep, a small smile on her face.

Sean, running by her at top speed stopped dead, Matt crashing into him from behind.

"Hey-what'cha do that for?" Matt asked. Sean pointed to the sleeping Phoenix. Matt grinned and suddenly yawned, stretching. "Sounds like a plan." The two of them fell asleep shortly after.

~*~

Ravi wandered out on the cool sands, being led by only the light cast by the moon. She was unaware that she was following the footprints of those she had been, only a few minutes earlier, sworn to kill. Abruptly coming upon the oasis, she cursed, seeing three figures. Walking closer and staring harder, she realized that they were all asleep. With a sigh of relief, she continued on her way.

__

They could be found by other members. They did not think to had one of them stay awake to watch for the Back Draft, she thought to herself. _Oh well. It's not my problem,_ she finished with a shrug. _Is that so?_ Another side of her asked. _They would not be out here, if it not for you._ Cursing, Ravi turned, walking back to the Oasis. She climbed onto of a small boulder and sat, watching over the three, her gray eyes slightly angry.

But she stayed.

As soon as Ravi heard one of them awaking, she was off the rock and across the sands as fast as her legs would take her-it would do her no good if they knew she was there.

~*~

Sean got up, shaking his hand watching the sand fall out of his hair and onto his clothes. He made a face at it then stood, trying to brush it off him. Movement caught the corner of his eye, and he turned to look at what seemed like a figure running away from them. _The desert is playing tricks on my eyes,_ he thought to himself. _Because it looks like that 'person' has blue hair…._

Matt sat up as well, glancing over to Rhu, then Falcon, who was watching something with his relentless gaze. "What's out there?" Matt asked.

Sean turned his head back towards Matt, grinning. "Nothin', Matt. Nothin'."

__

*tackles R-chan* hee! She's so sweet! Go and read her fics too- Ravi-chan is the penname. ^.^ oh, and if ye wanna see what some of the characters look like, go to: **www.geocities.com/o0oicewingo0o/roleplay.html**

^.^ next chapter coming soon! 

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~*~RC~*~


	8. Chapter 8

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Book of the Phoenix

A Zoids Fanfic

Written by Ice Phoenix

__

Chapter eight; specially for R-chan ^^ Yes, it's been a while since this fic's been updated.... *shrugs* I was feeling fairly bored; and hence, this came from my mind. The chapter probably sucks, but that can't be helped... Blame it on the lack of plot-setting, if anything. ^^

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~*~RC~*~

"There it is!" Matt announced to his teammates. 

"Mountains, lagoons, hot-springs, what more could you want?" Sean grinned, swinging around in his chair. 

"Rhu- what 'bout you? Whatcha think?" they both looked back at Phoenix.

Rhuidea was staring out the Gustav's window, leaning on the sill, hand propped under chin in a classic position. 

A touch too eagerly, Sean bounded over, waving a hand in front of her face "Yo, Rhu."

"Nyeh? Wha?" Phoenix looked up, train of thought broken.

"We're there."

"Where's there?" she asked, confused.

"Here." Matt pointed at the close mountains, and the even closer resort. "Perfect place to get away from the Backdraft, at least for a while." Griffin grinned to his teammates, stopping the transportational Zoid. 

Rhu smiled "Nice..." 

"Glad to have your approval." snorted Falcon, running a hand over her hair, ruffling it.

"Hey!" she waved his hands away, retying her bandana. "Couldn't resist, could you?" she muttered, half-glaring at him in fun.

"Nope. This is me we're talking about; I do things solely to annoy ye."

Phoenix rolled her eyes "How could I forget?"

"Never mind that; c'mon, I wanna take a look around." Matt interrupted, opening the canopy. "Let's go."

Rhuidea nodded, and punched Falcon on the arm playfully, ducking his own attack, and stepping out of the cockpit. 

Sean sighed, rubbed his arm and followed, the trio looking around in curiosity.

"Well, I dunno about you two; but I'm off to the private springs..." Rhu announced, walking towards the wing of the resort where they would be staying.

Sean and Griffin exchanged glances. Matt opened his mouth to say something, but Phoenix beat him to it, turning around to face them. "I'll be fine."

Falcon snorted "You said that last time."

Rhu shrugged "I know. I've decided though; this time, I don't care."

Matt quirked a brow "What exactly are you saying?"

"I know you guys do; but frankly, I no longer care if they get me or not." Phoenix answered with a casual shrug.

Matt took swift strides towards her, hands clapped on her shoulders. "You gone insane or somethin'?!" he demanded "You _don't care if you die?!_"

Rhu looked back at him levelly "Nope."

Falcon joined them, genuine concern in Griffin's eyes mirroring the other youth. "If someone aimed a gun at you; you'd say 'shoot me'?" Sean asked, brow furrowed as he tried to absorb this apparent suicidal streak within his teammate.

Rhu shook her head "Not exactly. It's- difficult to explain. Later. I'm in dire need of a bath here." she broke away from them, turning and walking towards the lobby and rooms.

Matt and Sean sighed in usion. "She's lost it..."

Griffin shook his head "This worries me. She acts like it doesn't affect her... But if Rhu's reached the stage of just plain not caring..."

"Then it's serious." Sean finished. "We have to do something... But what is there to do?"

"Nothing." came the answer. "That's the worst part."

~*~

Rhuidea worked her way across the bridges, paths and arcades, not noticing where she was going. _Did I really say that?_ she wondered, eyes blank _Do I really not care what happens to me anymore?_ Phoenix shivered_ That's scary... As much as I hate to admit it, there's only two choices. Kill them, or let them kill me._ She sighed. _I hate having to decide..._ A flash of inspiration came to her, and that was when Rhu decided. She knew exactly what to do...

~*~

When the trio regrouped at dusk, Rhu had had her bath, Sean had spent the day jet-skiing, and Matt being Matt, he had spent a large portion of the day asleep in a hammock.

Each felt at least partly refreshed, though their meal passed in silence. Falcon and Matt tried to get Phoenix talking, but she remained enclosed, silently thinking. 

The week they stayed was peaceful; Griffin, Sean and Rhu enjoying the Backdraft free zone. It was hard to go back to the city.

~*~

"Nice to be home again..." Rhu announced, entering the hangar happily. Matt and Falcon followed, lugging a couple of bags. Phoenix dumped her own luggage close to her Raynos, swinging up into it eagerly. "When's our next battle?" she called down to them, lodged between the wing and body.

"Uh..." Sean checked the notices "Two days."

Rhu grinned "Great. I could use a chance to spread my wings."

Matt nodded sceptically. "Sure- just don't get cocky. We still need you around here; keeps us in line." he grinned

She jumped down, landing with practised ease. It had taken months to get used to that when Rhu first met them; it was now a bit of a trademark, a symbol of her tendency for unpredictable things, from battle to everyday living to arguements; Phoenix was a complete mystery to most, and the few who knew her were still repeatedly stumped by the strange woman.

"No worries there ol' buddy." Rhu grinned.

Sean stifled a yawn "I'm gonna go crash... Tiredness overwhelming..." he muttered blearily, shuffling off to his bedroom.

Griffin shrugged, and followed, steering Falcon _away_ from the wall and through the door frame properly. 

Rhu laughed, then looked up at the Firebird. Once she was sure they were both out of earshot, and down the other end of the building, she reclimbed the Raynos, opening a hatch along one side of the body.

Phoenix worked quickly, inserting a small set of plastic explosives, attaching a trigger into the cockpit. She placed the materials strategically; this particular joint was weaker than the rest of the zoid; the most vulnerable spot. Two hits to that spot, and _boom,_ she'd go down fast- and that was in a normal battle. But now; with the extras, so much more could happen... and Rhu knew it would.

Jumping back down, Phoenix sighed. _I wish it didn't have to come to this; but there's no other way... I'm sorry Griffin, Falcon. It's the only choice..._

The sound of her footsteps echoed through the hangar, as Rhu walked away, flipping the light at the doorway before retiring to her room... 

Two days and counting...

__

XP Happy R-chan? No. 8, all typed up and pretty like, lol. ^^ This chapter is actually very_ different from how it was originally gonna be; but I like this more... ~.~ 9 - coming soon...-er than ye'd think... ^^ And; what's more, Chapter 10 willl be the end of BOTP...¬¬ bet ye didn't see that comin'... Mehbeh I'll do a sequel or somethin', basically all the RPs we've done, lol... *has something planned for Ch. 10* ^^_

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~*~RC~*~


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